Daydreams
by seddiefan2009
Summary: Freddie looks back over his life so far and daydreams about his life with Sam. Seddie.


Freddie laid quietly in the hotel bed on the off-white pillowcase, thinking about all that had changed in his life over the past few years. As best he could tell the turning point of his life had been his first kiss. But not in the way one would think, it didn't start some whirlwind romance that would later define his life, actually it didn't start a romance at all, it ended one. The moment he kissed Samantha Puckett his crush on and pretend romance with Carly Shay was over.

He didn't fall in love with Sam when he kissed her, but he did give up on a romance that would never be and one that, if he really thought about it, he wouldn't have wanted once he had. Carly was the perfect girl, to his 12 year old mind. She was nice, sweet, innocent, and pretty and she made him feel like he was worth something to someone other than his mother. There was something about Carly that made him want to try his hardest, at well everything.

For years he dreamed about his first kiss. It was always with Carly. Sometimes it was on the set of iCarly, others it was in his or her living room. But if he was realistic the fantasy that he thought was the most likely to happen was that one day they would be talking, she would be excited about something and would just kiss him. Then one day, when she was going through a divorce or bad breakup she would try to remember a time when she was truly happy and would remember that kiss and maybe even call and ask him out.

That was the dream, but when he kissed Sam it all changed. He realized that Carly, as sweet and pretty as she was, would never love him back. He also realized that while being Carly's boyfriend might be fun at first he would likely get bored with it pretty easily. He needed more of a challenge.

He still wasn't sure why his mind didn't jump to Sam to begin with, she was the girl he had just kissed, but it didn't. Maybe he knew he wasn't ready to go there, or maybe he knew she wasn't ready, maybe both. But instead he moved on, he still tried to flirt with Carly, he still fought with Sam but in reality he had changed.

It wasn't until a few weeks later when Carly's friend Missy came to town that he really started to fall for Sam. Carly's friend had been trying to get rid of Sam and Sam had gotten sick after eating rancid chocolate that Missy had given her. Sam had gone into the back of the studio to puke and when she came out she fell to the ground. Freddie had gone running to her, hoping to take care of her, but Carly had gotten there first and sent Sam downstairs so they could do the show. The look on Sam's face when Missy stepped in to do iCarly broke Freddie's heart.

At the time he wasn't sure why it affected him so much that Sam was hurting and he couldn't be there to help her. But then Sam showed up at his door nearly begging for his help, not that she would ever admit that. She wanted him to help prove to Carly that Missy was trying to get rid of her. He wasn't convinced that Missy was as evil as Sam said she was, but after remembering the look on Sam's face during the last iCarly he gave in.

That's when the dreams about Sam started. Freddie had daydreamt about Sam before, sometimes she was playing pranks on him, sometimes the other way around. Every once in a while he would daydream about kissing her. She had been his first and only kiss afterall. But he never thought about being with her as a boyfriend. He was pretty sure that she would break his leg for even thinking about it. But after Sam had shown up at his door he started to think that maybe Sam needed him more than she let on. And maybe he liked that.

Sam was the kind of girl that didn't need anyone, she could take care of herself. The only people she depended on were the ones she let herself depend on. Carly was one of those people. And until that day Freddie had thought Carly and possibly Spencer were the only people on that list. He now knew that he was there too. True she only showed that need when she was forced, but still it was there.

After that he thought more and more about Sam. The more he thought about her, the more he daydreamt about her. The more he daydreamt about her, the more he found that he liked being there for her. The next day he had found out that he had gotten the semester at sea award. He had wanted that semester at sea so badly only a few days before, but now it seemed ridiculous to go away for the semester, away from his friends, away from Sam, who he now knew needed him and suddenly a plan formed in his head. It was crazy, but it was a way to be Sam's knight in shining armor without her actually knowing.

He had thought that Carly would figure it out after Wendy spilled the beans. In a way she did. She figured out that he cared about Sam, but luckily for him she thought that it was in a platonic way. It never occurred to her that Freddie may have been developing a crush on her best friend.

But he was. It was a crush that would define his life.

It was another a year before he admitted that he liked Sam. He had, of course, admitted it to himself long before. He liked the idea of himself and Sam, he daydreamt about being Sam's boyfriend constantly. But the thought of admitting it to anyone, most of all Sam, scared the crap out of him. The thought that she might reject him, that she would most likely reject him to save her reputation kept him from saying anything, even to Carly, his best friend.

"Yo, Freddo whatya doin'?" Sam yelled out to him as she walked into the Shay's apartment without knocking.

"Just checking the iCarly website ratings. Apparently that water balloon fight got a lot of viewers." Freddie said laughing.

"Yeah, good thing Gibby didn't mind Germy sneezing on him through the whole thing." Sam laughed back.

Just then Carly came downstairs, carrying her jacket. "Hey you guys ready for the movie?"

Freddie looked up from the computer screen, "yeah just let me check my email really quick."

Sam stood up, "okay just hurry up Fredweirdo I'm too lazy to stand for too long."

Freddie hurried to close the window on the screen. "Okay I'm ready."

The three headed out to see the new Girly Cow movie. Sam and Carly had already seen it without Freddie but they wanted to celebrate Freddie getting his license and Sam thought it was ridiculous that Freddie wasn't planning on seeing it anyways.

As the trio reached the car Freddie headed to the driver's side door. He had expected Carly to sit up front so that Sam could lay down in the back seat or even for both of them to sit in the back. So it really surprised him when Sam got into the front seat next to him.

It took him a moment to recover but soon enough they were on their way.

After the movie Sam asked to be dropped off at home, she said something about a new TV. So Freddie drove her to her house and made sure she made it inside okay. Then Carly moved to the front seat.

"So Freddie, there's something I wanted to talk to you about." Carly started, laughing nervously.

"Okay, what's up?" Freddie asked.

"Well am I going blind or did you try to put your arm around Sam during the movie?"

It was Freddie's turn to laugh nervously, "no, of course I didn't."'

"Okay, well then what about paying for her ticket, popcorn, drink, and candy?"

"So, I paid for your ticket too, I always pay for all three of us. You didn't want any candy or anything but she did so I bought it for her. I always buy her food." He said, his voice going into a high pitched squeal.

"Freddie, calm down. I just want to know if you, you know like Sam?" Carly asked nervously.

"Carly, I don't like her, I'm just afraid of her when she hasn't eaten." Freddie replied.

"Freddie, are you sure you don't like her?" Carly asked, kind of deflated.

Freddie decided to give in, what could be the harm? "Yeah, I do." He whispered so low that Carly almost missed it.

"Oh yay!" She screamed at the top of her lungs, reaching over to hug him. "I knew it, I knew you liked her. Why haven't you said anything?"

"Um, hello because Sam doesn't like me back and because she would reject me and I just think I could take that." Freddie said, looking straight ahead at the road. Sam didn't live that far and they were close to home. Freddie put on his turn signal and made a left into the parking lot beneath their building.

It wasn't until he had parked and turned the car off that Carly started talking again. "Look Freddie, I'm not supposed to tell you this but Sam likes you."

Freddie's head jumped up in disbelief. "Wha…" he left the word hanging.

"Yeah, I was supposed to find out if you liked her or not and let her know so she could beat you for not saying anything."

"So I guess you're going to tell her now?" Freddie asked, hope in his voice.

"No, you are." Carly said confidently.

"Wha…What do you mean I'm going to…No I can't do that."

Carly turned her body in the seat, having taken her seatbelt off when they parked. "Look Freddie Sam is really insecure, she likes you but you're going to have to be the one to say something first, because otherwise she never will."

Freddie sat there for a moment thinking. He had always known that Sam was insecure. Her bully exterior was a cover for the scared little kid on the inside. A part of him had always known that Sam liked him, at least a little. He had put a lot of thought into that kiss and realized soon after that he had been tricked into kissing her. But as much as he wanted to believe that Sam liked him liked him, for more than a curious kiss, he just couldn't and more than that he couldn't bring himself to tell her that he had feelings for her even if Carly she wouldn't reject him.

"Freddie, I know you like Sam way more than you're ever liked anyone else and I know she likes you back. Spencer and I have been watching the two of you for the past year or so waiting for you to get together."

Freddie's eyes opened wide, "you have?"

"Yeah, we have!" Carly smiled at him. "Believe me, she really likes you. More than she has ever liked anyone else and she won't reject you if you try to talk to her."

"Look, I'll think about it." Freddie said finally.

Carly sighed, "okay just promise me you'll think about it."

"I will." He smiled at her.

That night Freddie laid in bed thinking about his conversation with Carly. As he thought about the conversation he realized that she was right, Sam wouldn't make the first move. If he really wanted to be Sam Puckett's boyfriend for real instead of in some daydream he was going to have to talk to her, admit his feelings and if she rejected him for some reason then take it like a man and come home and cry to his mommy.

With his mind made up he decided that he couldn't wait any longer, if he was going to do it it had to be now. He picked up his phone and pressed 3 on speed dial. His mother was 2 and voice mail was 1. As he waited for her to answer he tried to organize his thoughts. After the second ring she answered.

"Fredward do you have any idea what time it is?" She asked, sleepily.

Freddie laughed nervously. "No not really." He had been laying there for a few hours so he really wasn't sure.

"Well, its 4:24am. Why are you calling me?" She said, and Freddie heard the alarm clock hit the wall after she read the time.

"Look I really need to talk to you so can I come pick you up?"

"Yeah." She said jumping up. "I'll be waiting outside."

"No, no, stay inside I'll call when I get there, I don't want you outside alone at this time of night."

Sam laughed in his ear. "Yeah, yeah, Mama can take care of herself Fredwardo." With that she hung up.

"Yeah well if I have my way you won't have too." Freddie whispered into the phone after she had hung up.

He quickly put on his khaki pants and opened his closet to find the shirt that hung in the back, in the plastic bag. It was the one he had worn when Sam kissed him the first time. He wondered if the sentiment would be lost on her. He quickly went to the mirror and combed his hair into a slightly messy style.

He grabbed his keys, pearphone and wallet and tiptoed out of his room, carefully closing the door so that it wouldn't wake his mom up. He didn't have much time as it was, she would be waking up in less than two hours to get ready for work. She normally didn't work on Saturdays since she said he needed adult supervision during the daytime. But today she had volunteered to work for a friend. He wasn't supposed to know it but she was saving up to buy another car for him.

As he tiptoed out of the apartment, locking the door behind him Carly looked out her peek hole with a smile on her face.

When Freddie pulled up in front of Sam's house she was outside waiting, with a baseball bat in her hand. She stood up and walked to the curb as he pulled up in front of her house. She opened the door and sat down, throwing her baseball bat in the back.

"I'm guessing I won't need that since my hands are enough to scare you."

Freddie laughed, "anywhere you wanna go?"

"Canada?" Sam suggested.

"I only have like an hour. Mom has to work in the morning."

"Oh, well then how about the playground by your apartment building."

"Sure thing." Freddie said putting the car into drive.

The drive was silent, apart from the sound of Sam chewing on a piece of fried chicken that she pulled out of her pocket.

As they walked to the swings Freddie said, "now please don't lick them this time."

Sam got a mischievous look in her eye and went running for the swing set. Freddie went running after her.

"Sam I won't take care of you if you get sick again." He caught up to her as reached the swing, although he suspected she had slowed down a bit so he could tackle her.

He tackled her from behind, but she fought back and eventually ended up straddling his waist. She wasn't even breathing hard when he rolled them over, and laying on top of her, breathless he leaned down and kissed her. It wasn't anything like the last kiss they had shared, it was passionate and while it was soft and gentle there was a hint of roughness to it. Sam was the one who pushed it further by opening her mouth but Freddie was the one who put his tongue in her mouth.

They made out on the grass at the playground for several minutes until Freddie realized that the sun was coming out and broke it off.

"Look, Sam." Freddie said pulling her up into one of the swings. He sat in the one next to her. "I…I like you." He said looking down at the ants on the ground.

"Really? I never would have guessed Benson." Sam replied sarcastically.

"Sam, please this is really hard for me. I really like you and I want you to be my girlfriend….Maybe."

"Maybe?" Sam asked, a smile playing on her lips.

"Well, definitely." Freddie stammered.

"Well then listen and listen well Benson cause I ain't gonna say it again."

Freddie looked her in the eye and waited for her to continue.

"I might just like you too and I may want to be your girlfriend too."

"Really?" Freddie asked in disbelief.

"Well it's what I said isn't it." Sam yelled at him, smiling.

Freddie smiled back at her, used to her abuse. He moved the swing over and kissed her again. It was a small chaste kiss and then he got up and reached for her hand. "I better be getting home. If Mom wakes up and I'm not there she'll freak." They both laughed.

"Well then I'll just go with you and hang at Carly's until later."

"Cool maybe we can go for smoothies." Freddie suggested.

"Sounds good, Fredward." She smiled at him.

That began their romance. They had had their ups and downs over the past few years. There had been the time a girl had looked at Freddie 'weird' and Sam had strapped him into the Wedgie Bouncer. There had also been the time Freddie's mom had walked in on them making out in his bedroom and forbid them to be alone together. That had lasted a whole month, and at Mrs. Benson's threats Spencer had done his best to keep a chaperon between them, usually Carly.

The worst time though was when Sam had pissed off the entire football team. It was only a few weeks after they had started dating and Freddie was so scared for her that he jumped between her and them and got beaten up in the process. He still couldn't remember the 12 hours following the incident. But he did remember the conversation in the hospital afterwards.

"Freddie, why did you do that, why were you so stupid?" Sam practically screamed at him.

Freddie would have looked down to avoid her stare but his face was swollen. "I don't know, I don't even remember doing it. It just happened so fast."

"No Fredward this goes deep and I know it. You've been acting weird around me since we started dating. You don't want me going out alone after dark and you call me every hour when I'm out with my mom or Carly. What's the deal?"

"Sam that's what boyfriends do, they worry about their girlfriends and try to make sure nothing bad happens to them, even if it means getting hurt in the process."

Sam looked at him like he was an alien and then burst out laughing. "Is that what this is about? You being a good boyfriend? "

Freddie sighed, "what's so funny? I just want to protect you okay?"

Sam calmed down and looked him in the eyes, standing over him, with a look in her eyes that made him thankful to be in a hospital and then she said, "Freddie I can take care of myself, I always have."

"But that's the thing Sam, you shouldn't have to. I'm here now and I want to help take care of you. Please let me."

Sam stared at him for a moment and then sat on the bed next to him, still looking at him in the eyes. Freddie was starting to get nervous. "Fine."

"Fine?" He asked, his voice quivering.

"Fine, I'll let you help take care of me, but you have to promise to let me help take care of you." Sam stated with confidence.

"Help take care of me?" Freddie asked wondering what that could mean.

"Yup. That's the way it works isn't it?"

Freddie nodded, still not knowing where she was headed.

"Then you let me worry about our physical safety and you worry about keeping me fed."

"Excuse me?" Freddie asked.

"Look I'm physically stronger and a better fighter than you so let me deal with keeping us safe and you worry about keeping me in ham."

Freddie sighed. "You just don't get it."

"I don't get what Freddie?"

"Look when my Dad died my Mom taught me that you have to protect those you love even at your own risk."

"Love?" Sam asked dumbfounded.

"What?" Freddie asked realizing what he had just said.

"You said people you love. Am I one of those people?" Sam asked shyly.

"Well yeah I guess. I love you Samantha."

Sam just stared at him for a moment. "I love you too Freddork. But you just leave our physical protection to me from now on." With that she leaned down and kissed him.

They had gone to college together, in Oregon so Freddie's mom would be close but not close enough to visit daily. Carly had gone to school in between Seattle and their school and so they would take turns visiting and finding new and interesting places to do iCarly.

But tonight had been the end of and of their weekly webshows. Although they all entertained the idea of doing monthly specials it wasn't set in stone. They sent iCarly off with a bang, they ended it with Sam and Freddie's wedding. Freddie's younger cousin had been the flower girl and Spencer had given her away while Carly stood next to her as her maid of honor. Freddie and Sam's mother's had made their first and only appearances on the show to attend the wedding. Gibby had gotten a license online and had married them. It seemed a fitting end to the show that had brought them together.

Afterwards they had had a big reception for all their friends and family, since most of them couldn't fit into the studio.

So now, laying in bed next to his wife of 12 or so hours Freddie is daydreaming about the future. Will they have kids? Only time will tell…


End file.
